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A St. Cloud video production company filed suit last year challenging a Minnesota law the would require them to provide services for same-sex weddings.

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Carl and Angel Larsen talk about their beliefs during an interview Wednesday, Dec. 7, in St. Cloud. The Larsens have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging provisions of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The Larsens own Telescope Media Group. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)Buy Photo

MINNEAPOLIS — Both sides are optimistic after a hearing in federal court Friday in a case involving discrimination and freedom of expression.

The owners of a St. Cloud video production company filed suit against the Minnesota commissioner of human rights and attorney general, challenging state laws that force them to accept same-sex couples who want their marriage ceremonies video recorded as clients.

The state argues the case is about protecting Minnesotans from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Carl and Angel Larsen , owners of Telescope Media Group, believe that marriage should be limited to one man and one woman, but say the law would require them to serve same-sex clients if they entered the wedding video industry or face a penalty,

The Larsens have asked the court to temporarily stop enforcement of those laws while their lawsuit is considered. The state requested the lawsuit be dismissed.

Jeremy Tedesco(Photo: Courtesy Alliance Defending Freedom)

Arguments on both motions were made Friday and the judge has taken both under advisement, said Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom. The conservative Christian nonprofit out of Scottsdale, Arizona, advocates for "the right of people to freely live out their faith."

Carl said the two are still actively involved in video production work and are eager to enter the wedding industry.

"We'd love to enter it because we believe there's really important stories to be told there," Carl said. "I think marriage is misunderstood in our culture and this is our opportunity to speak messages that we believe that the Bible teaches. ... But currently, we're unable to do so because of our beliefs we hold."

"The case presents a really important question about whether the government has the power to force people to express messages they don't want to express, under threat of penalties up to and including jail time," Tedesco said.

Tedesco said they can't predict anything based on the hearing, but do think the hearing went well.

The state remains confident the laws in question will hold up to scrutiny, human rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said in a statement.

"After attending the proceedings this morning and hearing the arguments, I remain confident that we will prevail in District Court and that sexual orientation discrimination in public accommodation will remain prohibited under the Minnesota Human Rights Act," Lindsey said. "The Dayton-Smith Administration is committed to ensuring that all people in the State of Minnesota are treated ... fairly by business owners.”

As with many court cases, progress is slow.

"Our clients are not the only ones that have been frustrated by that," Tedesco said. "The legal process is slow. Justice is slow. I tell my kids that."

Tedesco expects a ruling to come in the next few months.

"The downside for people like the Larsens is they want to immediately start promoting their views about marriage right now. They're actually chilling their own speech about marriage because they're too afraid to be in violation of the law, because of the severe penalties under the law." Tedesco said. "The problem with cases like this is, even while the case is pending, free speech is the loser."

The Larsens argue that as creative professionals, they should be able to choose which clients they serve.

"It's certainly not unusual for a creative professional to choose projects based on their own personal convictions about the messages that they're promoting," Carl Larsen said.

The Larsens have heard from people on both sides since announcing the lawsuit.

"Overwhelmingly, creative professionals have expressed their support to us, many privately. ... Everybody wants to be free and not be forced to promote things that they don't agree with," Carl Larsen said.

They see this as part of a larger issue in this country, where unpopular opinions are increasingly being silenced.

"The ability to live according to conviction is ... something that's increasingly under threat in our world. And this case is really about preserving the freedom of everyone," he said. He wouldn't comment specifically on how the case has impacted the business, but said they are still busy.

"We've been in business for nine years and have always been busy. We've always had enough work to do," he said. "We're grateful for that and God continues to provide for our businesses as we go through this case."

The next step is to await the judge's rulings. Depending how the decisions go, Tedesco expects either side could appeal the ruling.

"Hopefully there will be a ruling fast and they can start getting in the wedding industry as fast as possible," Tedesco said.